The Librarian
by Raine1712
Summary: Prestigious school. Wealthy family. Top grades. A butler. His life on a plate. So where did he fail at the equation? How could a mere librarian turn his life upside down? A male, no less. Oh, but how could he possibly resist, those fiery red locks? Rated M/Romance/Angst/Akuroku main /Soriku./ Please R&R! Please?
1. Chapter 1

Tadaaaa! This is my very very first Akuroku fanfic c: I love this pairing to high heavens and I hope you'll like this little story I started here. It shall be multi-chaptered and M-rated. Please read on and if you like it don't forget to R&R! Reviews make me unbelievably happy, it's feeding my ego and energy, really. So if I receive lots of reviews I'll update faster. *Evil egotistical smirk*.

Ps: Must thank my sweet LightlessFallenAngel for the librarian idea. I love you!

**Disclaimer (and this one stays throughout the whole story) :** I own none of these characters, they all belong to Square Enix and trolling genious Nomura.

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**. : ****Chapter 1:** Sweet Curse : .

_Sweet is the curse of hearts entwined but lost, detached but bound_  
_Sad is their fate without relief_  
_Cruel is the curse of love, so luscious yet so dangerous_  
_Sweet curse, our hell_

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_One...two...three...four..._

Every day was the same.

It was the same routine, the same repetitive scenario.

After approximately five seconds, five ticks of the clock, my eyes would mechanically pop open and focus lazily against the cream-colored ceiling above me. My nostrils would meet with the exact same aroma of lavender smelling bed sheets and find it difficult to move away from the overly inviting silk caressing my cheek. I'd roll over to the other side, discarding the initial idea of slipping off the bed from my mind, until familiar hands would roll the bed covers off me, gently pull me up by the hands, against my will, and bow in front of me, calm and collected turquoise eyes silently wishing me a good morning. Then he'd pad away and only return with a pile of lavender smelling, fresh clothing, set it on my bed and walk out my dorm room until I'd slip out of my drowsiness and dress myself. Even his hair always looked the same. Silver, long, tied in a carefully combed ponytail. My butler was, without mistake, a perfect robot. Sometimes I found myself pondering over his ability to feel...

Everything was perfect. My social distinction was perfect, my grades were possibly as extraordinary as could be-honour student status was proof enough. My dorm was flawlessly clean, my school was sickeningly prestigious. To complete the dangerously sweet chocolate cake-like life with a luscious cherry on top, I had my own butler. All of us did.

That's what made _**Cyprès de Lawson**_ so noteworthy. No other academy could possibly outrun it, or even dream to. I liked to occasionally imagine my school in the shoes of some book's character. And then I'd laugh at its flawless misery and how strangely knit to being a Mary-sue it possibly was.

I always believed my life would stay this way, perfectly laid out for me. Forever.

Although, somewhere within my prideful mind I failed to see the hidden tricks that dropped me to my feet. I suddenly was unable to solve the simple equation that was given to me, for one day everything changed.

_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.._

I stretched myself out of the bedroom and took my plain white pajamas off, swiftly replacing them with my uniform. Taking my time, I pulled my skinny, plaid, light-blue trousers up, buttoned my white shirt and ruefully messed around with my tie. It was a perfect match with the trousers-and we never got along. I groaned and walked to the door, pulled it open and there he was, Riku, as punctual as ever, hands behind his back, waiting. He smiled at me and walked over, wordlessly took the messy tie from me and within the time frame of 6 seconds, it was skilfully fixed.

I groaned which only caused Riku's tight smile to broaden on me.

"I believe in you, master. One of these days I shall see you confidently tightening the knot around your tie."

I chuckled and ruffled my messy hair. To be perfectly honest it was rather unnerving, failing at something, but I wasn't about to let such a trivial matter as a tie ruin my day. I finished preparing myself and after Riku lifted my bag, we treaded down the hallway to my history class.

The building was old. Years old. But so perfectly looked after. It was your typical Victorian building that had undergone tremendous management to look the way it did.

I stretched my hand out and took my bag from Riku. "Take the day off today." I mumbled and looked the other way, being one hundred percent sure, without looking, that my lifelong butler and secret friend was probably quite surprised. "You work far too hard and today's day is easy. Come back tomorrow."

My eyes laid on his before I lifted an eyebrow at his silence. Riku cracked a composed and mature smile at me and bowed.

"Thank you...If it's fine with you I-"

"Sure sure it is. Now take your leave before I change my mind." I teased him menacingly. I knew he wanted to chuckle and tease me back, but Riku never did. He gave me one last bow, wished me a good day, and reminded me to take my meds before hurriedly padding down the hallway.

_Good. You deserve a good day's rest for once._

That's when I feel a strong hand wrapping around my neck and I turned to see familiar blue eyes and a grin so ridiculously stretched he looked like a cartoon character.

"You're looking as grumpy as ever, dear cousin!" Sora screamed hyperly in my ear and I rolled my eyes before pulling his arm off my shoulders.

"And you look as impossibly elated as ever- even for a morning person." I remarked. "Did something good happen?"

Sora only nodded, the grin never wearing off and he slapped my back before dragging me to class. "I saw someone I missed!"

Furrowing my eyebrows, I stared at him as we sat down our shared desk. Who was there possibly to miss at a boarding school? You saw the very same faces, day after day, and we weren't allowed visitors outside of weekends.

"Ah! No, no, I'm not telling you yet, dear cousin! It's my little secret!" Sora snickered slyly and opened his textbook before grinning at me again.

_Suit yourself. Not that I care much anyway. I'm just curious._

Class was fluid as always. Since the beginning of the school year I had easily gained myself the status of the top student. Remembering history was easy, solving equations was even easier, sex education was ridiculous. What was there to feel threatened over anyway?

That was, _until _I found myself dumbfounded in algebra class.

There's she was, my maths teacher, short dark blue hair, aqua eyes, that fitted her name like an ace. Smiling and carefree looking as ever-albeit a bit too young to teach, in my opinion. That was _until _she gave us an equation I couldn't solve and no matter how hard I dug in my mind for the solution. I clawed and searched and tossed and turned. It was futile, it just wouldn't come out.

Sora turned and looked at me with a stiff, grim face.

"I don't get this at all, Roxas...can you help me..?" He whispered in my ear sheepishly. It was well known that when the others couldn't solve an equation, Roxas could. I would always help them out-granted I felt like it.

So what was this ridiculous looking set of random numbers?! No explanation, no question, no nothing.

I rubbed my temple and mumbled out loud to myself.

"Complete the series... 9 = 4 ... 21 = 9 ... 22 = 9 … 24 = 10 … 8 = 5 … 7 = 5 … 99 = 10 … 100 = 7 ... 16 = ?, 17 = ? … "

I groaned and gripped my knuckles in annoyance. This demonic piece of paper was trying my patience today.

"Roxas...?" Sora muttered by my ear. "You...can't solve i-"

"Don't even think of completing that sentence." I muttered and glared at the paper. I could feel my eyes the way they itched slightly at the edges. I dared not blink, I dared not look away. What was this ridiculous situation?!

My teacher's soft giggles rung next to my ear and I turned my head around startled, only to see her walk away and stand by the blackboard-just before the bell rung.

"Well then, this shall be your homework for tomorrow." Soft smile and even softer eyes regarded us, although a little teasingly. "The ones who discover the solution to this problem shall be given a significant grade boost".

I groaned lowly and got up, Sora following. Heavens knew I didn't need a grade boost, so virtually I got nothing by completing this nuisance. There was something creeping in the back of my throat, a slight pain, or was it an irritating itch? It was my pride. I wasn't about to let a petty mathematic problem get the best of me. I'd solve it, even if it meant tossing the library upside down for help.

"R-Roxas?" Came my cousin's voice from my side as he tried to keep up with my furious pace. Oh I was going to ditch last period if it meant getting rid of this itching in my nape.

"I'm going to the library." I hissed, my pace increasing.

"What? Now? Why? -Hey, wait up!" He cried but kept up with me anyway.

"I need to solve this, Sora! This is the first time this has ever happened to me! I don't know if my brain's not working properly today, but I must solve this! I have to!" I hyperventilated, mumbling unstoppably, my hands jerking up and down in front of me.

Sora stared at me for a long moment before beaming and lightly tapping my shoulder. "I'll go get something to eat then. The library's not really my thing, genius boy! It kinda gives me the hibbie jibbies!"

Unable to help my eyes rolling at his childish remarks, I waved a hand dismissively before departing.

_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.._

The library doors were wooden, enormous and really hard to open. A tad too difficult to push, but I wasn't about to accept my body was weak. After somehow advancing past the library entrance, my nose was greeted with the familiar scent of books, of wood, of old paper...

White curtains covering wall-length windows, bookcases as tall as the ceiling, tomes and tomes of unimaginable knowledge. I caught myself smiling and stepped forward. Ashamed as I was about it, I wasn't a frequent visitor to the library. At least, not my school's library.

I reached my finger out and gently stroked a finger over a fat black tome, then a red one, another black one. Not a speck of dust, to my surprise. Somehow I had this image in my mind that fitted perfectly with the magic of this old looking library, where dust would be accompanying the tickling smell of paper.

And then, slowly padding down the left section of the library, I saw him. The most accurate personification of passion I had ever laid my eyes on.

Truthfully, I don't know what caught my attention first. Was it the tall, lean, unhealthy looking figure – that somehow oh so sinfully suited him? Was it the sense of fashion? - Thin looking dark grey tee, glued against a tiny waist and chest and shoulders. Baggy worn out jeans, leaving the tiny bit of skin around the waist bones exposed. Or was it the hair - that inhumanly massive mane of crimson hair?

My throat felt a little too dry, and I gulped and stared and stared, until confused jade eyes met mine.

And there it began, blue clashing with green, unwavering, a war of intensive gazing that send shivers down my petrified spine. And it was only when I realised that my bag had fallen off my fingers that I looked away, picked it up with inhuman speed and did everything I could to even look remotely normal.

Suddenly remembering the reason that brought me in the first place, I turned and scanned through the maths sections intently, barely breathing, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. Way to make a fool out of one's self. What's there to stare at anyway?

"Can I help you?"

The voice which spoke behind me was like the warm breeze of August, I swear. Tender but firm, throat-drying, heating one's body and making one's eyelids heavy.

I sheepishly turned around, my back against the gigantic bookcase, as emerald orbs regarded me curiously. _How does one speak, again?_

A smirk decorated the lion's face as he rested long fingers inside the pockets of his jeans.

"Cat got your tongue, student?"

Oh it did.

_As if you're one to talk...with that Cheshire smirk of yours..._

"M...Maths. I need a book about complicated mathematic equations." I mumbled with all the logic I had left, every cell in my body tingling with nervousness.

"Ah, I see. Having problems, are we? Follow me." He beamed at me and strolled to my right, furthest in the back and I followed, sinking teeth into my lower lip.

Who was he, what was he doing here? Was he a student? He looked a little mature for a high school student. Was he a teacher? Too young.

Suddenly a heavy black book was handed out to me, green clashing with blue again.

"This good enough? It's got some of the hardest equations in the universe, as far as I know, shortie."

I twitched.

_Shortie?_

I scanned the book, flipping the pages in a hurry, my mind torn between getting the hell out of there and staying to find out more about the peculiar human being.

"It's...It's good enough." I mumbled and held it against my chest.

"Good." The redhead beamed. "Come along so I can write your name down in that old wreckage of a computer, ok?"

A nervous smile escaped my lips and I did as told.

_So, he works here._

The tall man clicked away with furious fingers against the keyboard and then smirked at me. "Your name?"

Nervousness crept up in me again and I squeezed the book so hard I'd dug my nails inside, was it possible. "Roxas."

The man kept smiling at me, as if waiting for something more.

_Oh._

"R-Roxas McWillner". I responded hurriedly. He smiled and turned to the computer, typing fast again. "Ah. You're that little genius, aren't ya?" His smile reached up his multi-pierced ears and he handed me the book elated. "No wonder you were searching for that. Having trouble studying, cookie?"

_What...is __**wrong**__...with this guy?_

"T-There is no mathematical problem I can't solve. Apart from...apart from one I came across...today. There was one I couldn't solve...So I kind of...needed help." Ah, here I was suddenly mumbling unstoppably. Oh the embarrassment I felt for accepting my own weakness, moreover, voicing it out loud. The man, boy, whatever he was, smiled warmly at me and leaned over the wooden counter, a hand on his cheek lazily.

"Big hunk here can help you then." And there it was again, that infuriating smirk. I furrowed my eyebrows, about to burst and reject his help-after all, what could a librarian teach me? But somehow I wanted to listen, more and more, to anything he had to say.

I nodded and pulled my notebook out of my brown schoolbag, when I noticed his eyes were stuck on mine again.

_Thumb. Thumb. Thumb._

Why was my heart reacting in such a worrisome manner over a tall stranger? A boy no less. Ah, it must have been the styling. Yes, that made perfect sense.

I remembered how to think and set the notebook onto the counter, flipped it at appropriate page and handed it over. I studied his features up-close carefully while given the chance. Porcelain face. Lips too soft-looking to be male. Muscular but rather thin cheekbones. A row of three piercings on his left ear. One after at the other.

"Are you kidding me, muffin?"

He snapped me off my thoughts and I blinked hurriedly, feeling like a criminal picking at his cell's lock.

"Please tell me this was just your lame-ass way of starting a conversation with me, or I'll flip."

There it was again, the summer heat, striking and strong. But no, this wasn't just any heat. My cheeks were ablaze, they were dangerously on fire.

"Y-You are being ridiculous!" I snapped and tried to snatch my notebook away but he held it there, over my hand. _He is touching my hand._ I jerked it back and glared up at him, only receiving a tired sigh in response, followed by sudden scribbling on paper.

Furrowing my eyebrows, I peered over the counter.

"See here, daisy dear, the word 'nine' has four letters. Thus, 9=4. 'Twenty-one' has nine letters. 21=9."

My eyes spread wide and my mouth lightly hung open. What was this trickery?!

"Thus, 'sixteen' has seven letters. 16=7. And 'seventeen' has nine. 17=9."

I slapped my face with so much force my head went dizzy, too preoccupied with my idiocy to be offended by the tasteless nickname.

The laughter ringing by my ear sprang me back to reality and I glared up at him from embarrassment.

"This wasn't even an equation..." I mumbled helplessly.

"'Course it wasn't. This is elementary school material. It's to make fools out of yourselves, kiddo. And you fell for it."

My eyes furiously locked with his which earned me another wide smile.

_He's like those toothpaste commercial models..._

And then, suddenly he gravitated towards me, a little too close, smirking down at me and my misery, like the god of misfortune had appeared before me .

"So this _was_ your way of flirting after all. Quite unoriginal I admit."

My face flared up again and I violently jerked the notebook away, my glare itching my own sockets.

"I-I don't swing that way! And I never asked for your help!"

With shaky hands and a shattered pride I collected my things and ran out of the enormous library.

"You're welcome!" I heard the summery voice echo from behind me before the doors slammed close and my feet took me to the other end of the corridor.

That was the moment when my world caught on fire.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hey guys! Must apologize beforehand for taking forever to update! I'm quite a slow writer to be honest and currently suffering from a terrible block. I've been writing this baby here for 3 days on and off, which kind of sucks. But either way, I hope you enjoy it. This is where the plot starts developing, albeit little by little. Thank you and please rate and review! Reviews make the writer happy! And she'll try updating fasteeeer!_

_Like usual I don't own these awesome characters, nor do I own supernatural (there's some SPN mentions inside, nothing big, just saying ;) )._

___To everybody who's reviewed so far, thank you thank you thank you!_

___Oh and keep in mind English is not my mother language, so for any errors you might come across, I'm sorry!_

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_Set me free, your heaven's a lie_

_Set me free with your love,_

_Set me free, yeah_

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**. : Chapter 2: Heaven's a lie : .**

'Phenomenal student Roxas McWillner had it rough.'

This should be the title of my autobiography, were I to write one, of course. Which probably wouldn't be happening any time soon, because bloody hell, I'm not quite important enough to bless others with literature involving my miserable life. Yes, I could adequately say that my life quite in fact, sucked.

Drama and tears, cheers to the teenage years!

Who wouldn't, after all, when their day started out _this_ agonizingly? Failing at an assignment as easy as counting to five and being mocked by a mere _librarian _due to my own lack of concentration I had every right to be fuming, thank you very much! Even the sunlight felt infuriating enough to make me gag and wish to punch it's brains out. Why did it have to be morning? It could've been evening, when the library was closed. If it'd given me the pleasure of not working for the day, I wouldn't have met the whirlwind who started it all and would later on turn my life into an emotional roller-coaster.

Biting my lower lip, chest rising and falling in quite the unconventional way, I rested a hand on the glass in front of me, gaining a perfectly clear view of the back-garden It was cold and felt nice enough for me to soon rest my burning cheek against it. Ah. _Bliss._

Whatever had set my face aflame, I preferred not knowing. Don't get me wrong, ignorance isn't bliss and I'd always been a firm believer to that. Were that sorry of a phrase true after all, the human race would have undergone zero progression and I quite like my pale little manor, mind you. Caves don't sound half as grandiose.

But who would ever confess to being intimidated by someone like that, anyway? _Those flaming locks, those glittering emeralds the dufus ha__s __for eyes! It should be __illegal to be that good-looking and have a haystack for brains! _I hissed in my mind, running a shaking hand through my blonde, wild but thankfully flexible hair. Had conditioner not been invented I would've probably battered every single brush in the universe in search for the ultimate tool of combing.

"Roxas?" A familiarly soothing voice hummed from behind me and I detached my cheek from the cooling window to allow my sorry self a glimpse.

"Namine..." Muttered a tired voice in defeat, apparently mine, rather glad that my saving grace had arrived. The girl flashed one of those motherly smiles of hers I'd been so accustomed to and walked closer, wrapping an arm around mine ever so casually.

"You seem like you have quite a lot on your mind." Came her murmur, soft blonde locks brushed behind a perfectly pale left ear.

Meet Namine, my girlfriend, apparently. Second best on the honor roll, seemingly perfect in both beauty and brains. Our families had been closely knit ever since I could remember myself, which resulted in us somehow ending up in a promised arranged engagement which had somehow not yet happened. Two prestigious families united as one-what else would a thriving businessman need?

Professionalism aside though, Namine had always been my best friend, my support, the guardian angel who picked me up when times were rough and kept me going. Wow, well that sounded poetic.

"Not really. I just had quite the irritating day." I confessed miserably and rested a tired temple on top of her shoulder, gaining a faint laughter in reply.

"It's not a frequent occurrence for the high and mighty Roxas to be irritated. Whatever graced us with this phenomenon?" My apparent girlfriend chipped, mirth quite evident in her tone, and held another shot of giggles back. Unable to keep my expression blank I rolled my eyes and groaned internally. Whatever was it that had caused this, really?

"I _almost f_ailed at solving an equation and got help from some … cheap librarian."

Namine's eyes grew round for a moment and she blinked twice before flashing another simple smile my way. "Librarian? And helped lord McWillner solve a problem? Was it Axel?" Namine asked, suddenly beaming as bright as the morning sun. I felt a tingle of something unrecognizable in me and watched her with round curious eyes which perfectly reflected hers in color.

"Axel? Is that the idiot's name?" I caught myself bursting, a little too late, which merely gained me another prying glance from my blonde partner. She only smiled and nodded before indulging into further explanation.

_What kind of name is that anyway?_

"Axel's a really bright individual. We happened to converse a couple of times and I can quite unarguably say his talent is being wasted."

At that, I found the window quite amusing once again-I mean what could be better than the green winter grass dancing to the rhythms of the raging wind?- then glimpsed at the grey sky, the statue of the school's first ever headmaster adorning the barred entrance, anything but Namine's face.

"You don't say." I muttered defeated. Smart? Who, the guy with the attitude and looks of a street junkie, the hair that must've undergone three layers of bleaching to be this bright and the countless piercings which seemed to defy gravity? Were we speaking of the very same person?

Namine giggled and tenderly let go of my shoulder before pressing a porcelain pale index finger right in the middle of my nose, successfully indicating I was being a pig.

"You're only bitter because he solved your assignment for you, Roxas!"

Unable to not roll my eyes at that, I opted for avoiding her gaze once more. There was a tiny possibility she was right, as I was never one fond to admitting defeat. Frankly, I think I quite hurriedly accepted her observation as the sole truth back then and nodded, a small groan escaping my lips which merely gained me a laughter in response.

"I have to hurry to Biology class." She finally admitted and let go of my nose before turning to face the door at the end of the marble hall. And with that, we bid each other farewell, her planting a hasty kiss on my cheek before storming off, leaving me to my thoughts once more.

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I flipped the 154th page of the book I had little luck concentrating on. It was amazing how the battles of the 15th century could vary from intriguing to boring in a matter of seconds. Groaning, my tired eyes unintentionally fell on the fat, mathematically rich tome resting on top of my desk, situated by the window. Which reminded me of that enraging smirk again and I ended up shoving the innocent Renaissance themed book against the door, where it landed with a thud loud enough to shake the floor off.

Only seconds after, the other end of the door knocked and I jumped lightly in surprise. Whoever thought that visiting me at my current state was a good idea had better be ready for the consequences. Sliding off the comfortable bed, I padded barefoot to the door and opened it with what -I was aware- was a face of condemnation. There stood Sora, with the same goofy expression plastered on his face 24/7, throwing his arms around me as if we hadn't seen each other for years.  
"Roxas!" He chipped in my ear and nuzzled to my face in a sickening manner, giving me shivers of disgust which I internally swore would be lasting me a whole week. With a weak disapproving glare I pulled away and regarded my cousin with exhaustion probably quite apparent in my eyes.

"What now?" Was my only response.

And then I caught him, scanning the room for someone who wasn't here, like he always did, as if half-expecting to find Riku standing behind me. "You alone?"

Ah, there it was, the long-awaited interrogation. At times I wondered just how oblivious he took me for. Even a blind man could see it, the way Sora stared at my butler as if he was lion king in a tux.  
"Yes, I'm alone. Riku's taken the day off-which I think I've already informed you of. Anything else you need except for swooning over my butler?" Irritated as I was, I couldn't help enjoying the way Sora's face changed about twenty shades of red every time silverette in question was mentioned, in a teasing manner, no less.

Said cousin glared at me the way a wet puppy would have, had you kicked it out in the middle of a storm, which only got a light-hearted laugh out of me. _Ever so obvious, Sora._

"It's just unusual to see you alone, that's all..."

Yeah, sure thing. Just how stupid, exactly, did he take me for?

"I am fine being alone. As a matter of fact, I was having quite the moment of tranquility, until you appeared and burst my bubble."

This time my words gained me a frown at which I could only groan and somehow end up apologizing.

"Fine. I was joking. Is there something in particular I owe your visit to?"

And with that, Sora hugged me like a momma bear once again.

"Well, I kinda have this assignment for tomorrow..."

_Right. I should've guessed where this was going. Need help? Head over to Mr. Genius._

"And, well, I kinda wanted you to help me pick a book from the library. Because that place gives me the creeps and you know I'm hopeless with books! Come on Roxas! Pleaaase?"

Trying to free myself from Sora's grip was hopeless too. We were the same height, weight and somehow one could even quite easily mistake us for brothers. But when it came to strength, he'd been gifted with a little bit more than me, as it seems.

"Fine, you impossible buffoon!" I miserably agreed, unable to protest. After all, anything was better than being squished like a burrito.

Sora made his trademark victory dance and grabbed me by the shoulder, ready to dash out, when I protested and headed straight to the desk where the tome of doom laid. I glared daggers at it for a few good moments before deciding to finally pick it up into my arms. It was big enough to break a double-layered window with and needless to say, the back of my mind wished it could serve in cracking open a certain redhead's skull, did the need arise.

Black, fat tome in hand and Sora tugging at the other, we left my dorm and walked down the hallway, my eyes absently glancing out of the window.

Our school had quite a number of students, although to me they all somehow seemed like unimportant, dark silhouettes Petty, weren't we? Nah, I simply found it too much of a hassle to bother with people I wasn't going to interact with any time soon.

Little were the faces I recognized and even lesser were the names. Although that one name, and that one face, I could not get out of my mind no matter how much I struggled.

Speak of the devil! There he was, lazily sitting on a chair behind his desk, one purple sneaker resting on the wooden surface by what looked like a mug of coffee, a hand absently flipping on the page of a thin book, laid out for everyone to see as if he was hot stuff.

And that half-eaten, abandoned doughnut at the other end of the desk. God gracious!

I caught myself stare and wondered just how there could be a person with zero etiquette whatsoever.

A loud smash broke the silence, caused the redhead to twitch, look up terrified and made me realize my book being thrown against the desk had been the cause.

Sea blue met lime green and for a moment, everything stopped-and I could have sword, mind u, that my heart stopped too. Within the time frame of five seconds, the redhead beamed a grand grin at me, probably trying to showcase that possibly fake white enamel, like the rest of him, and loomed over what I hoped was still my body and not a puddle of shame.

"Hello there, Daisy." Came a deep voice that skillfully tickled the back of my neck without even trying.

"Shut up. Call me that one more time and I'll make sure you lose this sorry excuse of a job you have." I hissed under my breath, our faces close enough to make my brain explode.

Instantly, the librarian pulled away from me and spread his hands out in the air defensively.

"Whoah whoah. Touché!" He squealed down at me and wore an obnoxiously disturbing pout on that tattooed face of his. "Let a man earn his pay, will ya? Why so bitchy? Girlfriend found out you're gay and ditched you?"

And if there was a switch that could ever set my insides on fire, he'd found it. If this was what an erupting volcano felt like, I dimly wondered if I'd be the first person on earth to experience it.

With a scowl which quite positively made me look like a barbarian, I pushed the book atop the surface over to my nemesis and watched him look back at me curiously.

"I don't need this anymore." I spoke calmly, despite my inner turmoil. As if I'd let this random person toy with my temper any longer! "I would like to return it." _And possible never see your stupid __tattoo-ed __face again. _I concluded in my mind.

The redhead beamed at me, picked the book up and padded off down the third corridor of bookcases once more, leaving me with a bewildered Sora, whose existence I'd completely forgotten up until he spoke. Great.

"Who the bloody hell is _that_?!" And he tugged on my shirt, oh so conveniently forgetting just how expensive the material was. Was he not my cousin I'd have castrated him at that very moment.

You never, ever do two things to Roxas McWillner. You don't call him stupid names and certainly don't play around with his possessions.

I ignored my cousin's pleas, shivering at his tingling gaydar abilities, looking anywhere but the Goliath who was now padding his way back to our side. Or to his desk, for that matter.

Sora ended up quieting down, but only when the person in question took his seat behind the desk once more, beaming that ridiculous grin at us like the banter we just had, hadn't even happened.

And then he noticed my cousin.

And the grin widened, my stomach twisting to a knot, eyebrow twitching, about ready to tell him off any moment he chose to sexually harass Sora as well.

But it never came.

There they were, introducing themselves casually, Sora questioning him over how long he'd been working in the library and as it seemed, sheepishly and embarrassingly admitting he'd not once stepped foot there before.

And there was I, insignificant little businessman extraordinaire, hands in pockets of expensive checkered trousers, glaring daggers at the both of them as if two stupidities colliding would erupt a second big bang in the universe. Despite the need to strangle anything living at that very moment, I picked up on their conversation fast. Quite fast for an uninterested person, might I say.

"Where do you live?"

"Down the center of Twilight Town, kid. And quite the catch at that, best view of the town you've ever seen."  
"Holy hell! That's quite far!"  
"Yep-but hey, cycling is good! I didn't get these babies by lazying off all day!" And the madman slapped a pale hand to where his abs should be located. Oh Blimey! Whoever had given him such a strong impression of his own looks should be locked up, or banished from the land forever!

"Yeah, well, I go everywhere by car, so...Oh but hey, Roxas here likes to cycle too, right Roxas?"

For a person quite as sophisticated as myself, I quite swiftly remembered how to cuss out profanities. Which, said obscenities I managed to hold at back and not one of them slid past my lips, thank you very much.

"I'm outta here." Was my only response and I turned, quite hurriedly heading for the door, when my wrist was snatched by a hand that definitely was too big to be Sora's. Electricity crawled through me like the unwanted guest it was and as my body turned around despite my mind's warnings, our eyes met once more.

"Am I such a bad company, Daisy?" Hummed my nemesis and I hissed.

"I told you my name is Roxas, you impossible little-"

"Ah ah, no bad words for rich little boys." And that finger, that god-forsaken finger which he so casually went and laid on top of my lips to silence me as if we knew each other for ages, did not help the current situation.

After roughly ten seconds I regained the ability to fend for myself.

_Who dies he think he is?_

Small hand slapped a bigger one away and if my eyes were daggers I hoped to every higher power they could stab him in the rear.

"As if you're one to talk! Uncivil neanderthal! Thinking you're better than everybody else! If you're so divine then why rot in a school library?! I bet you have no worthy goals in life!"

You know those damned times when the voice of reason is so far away it can't save you from humiliation? Yeah, I was quite positive this was one of those times.

What should have gathered me a train of cusses directed to my sorry being, ended up coming out as a laughter so impossibly deep and loud I feared it sucking me in for a moment.

"Divine?! Are you fucking serious, daisy? I'm divine!? Well thank you very much, little prince! I can say my sorry ass is so elated it might grow mushrooms any moment!"

My nose wrinkled and eyebrows furrowed to a frown. Could a person's ears catch on fire by merely hearing? Science disagreed, I for once, was quite worried on the matter.

He quickly picked up on my immediate mood swings and -wait, was his hand ruffling my hair? The hair I so diligently spent five minutes combing every morning?

"Listen here, prince Daisy." And I twitched and hoped to high heavens I had half of Sora's strength. Oh how nicely throwing a punch or two would've felt back then. "There's a thing us poor people call part-time jobs, ya know? Average college students who've got college tuition to pay, not to mention the occasional meal, yeah? Not everyone has momma and pops backing them up in life. Got it memorized?"

And frankly, if a person had told me half an hour ago, I'd end up feeling ashamed of my sorry self, I'd have hit them on the scalp so hard they'd be seeing flying chicks for days. With the black fat book of doom which started it all, no less.

But It's not like I was one keen to apologizing mind you. There I stood, unable to voice out my mistakes and ask forgiveness over them, like a damsel in distress. Damned be my inability to associate with people!

"How could I atone for my mistakes?" Was the closest to forgiveness I could ask, which quite expectantly had the Goliath who'd still been somehow holding onto my wrist, laugh.

"Well, I've got a little something you could do for me."

_Oh, superb._

"Ya see, I've got this lil' band and we've got this lil' gig tonight. Watch us play, then tell me I've got no goals in life 11 o'clock. At 'Twilight Destiny'. It's right by the clock tower."

Damn that smile. Have you ever stayed up all night just so see the sunrise? That very moment when dark blue, orange and red collide, embrace each other and form one of the most beautiful treats the human eye has ever seen? And it warms you up inside like bonfire on a stormy night, like the reflection of your own fireplace springing against the raindrops on the outside of your window.

That type of collision when everything seems so small yet so meaningful.

"I...I can't...Our school's got curfew...We can't be out past-"

"Hey, I'll back you up!" Came Sora's perky voice, once more reminding me of his existence. I wonder if he'd get mad would he ever find out I magically seemed to forget his presence when around this person...This person, Axel, wasn't it? What a peculiar name. Quite fitting of a rock star.

"I still-"

"Oh come on, Rox!" Insisted Sora, clearly choosing the worst possible moments to forget when to back down. He had a point though. I'd cussed on a person who frankly hadn't done anything wrong, apart from being a little annoying maybe. Hell, Sora was annoying all the time and he never got the asshole treatment. Defeated by my own demeanor, sea blue rested onto smiling green and I couldn't help the nod that came out of me.

"Fine. But only to make it up to you. And you'll come pick me up and take me home before it's too late. I've got classes first thing in the morning."

How he could possibly pull that out, I didn't have the slightest clue, for I wasn't oblivious enough to ignore his concert started at 23:00. Not to mention it would probably last a bit. I wouldn't make it back by 1:00, at best. Curfew was at 22:00.

And then it kinda hit me, I'd be breaking the law for the very first time in my life. Not much of a law to get expelled or run into any trouble for, but quite enough to be nagged over. And I'd be breaking it with the person who'd caused me so much inner turmoil in a single day that nobody else had managed to in seventeen years.

"Cool! I'll pick you up at ten, if that's alright with ya."

Alright? No it wasn't, but was I in a situation to bargain at the moment? Positively no.

"Fine, Whatever. Sora, we're leaving."

And I jerked my wrist away, the electricity which had pinned me in place finally leaving me. Thanking every higher power possible, I grabbed my cousin by the fabric on his wrist and dragged him out to what I positively believed would have been the speed of light, were I inhuman.

_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.,_,.-'~'-.._

A quarter to ten. Never before, and note that down, never, before, in my life had I felt so nervous over something. Witty speech before family dinner? I could handle. Speech in front of the whole school? You got it. Talking to El Gingero? No. Breaking curfew with said bushfire? Definitely no.

Yet here I was with my closet doors wide open-don't read that the wrong way-unable to decide on what to wear, with my cousin all but helping.

Choose this, choose that.

Not this, but that.

This is too bright, this is too dark.

Why did I even have to worry over my clothing choices in the first place?

"Oh, her, look what I found!" Sora finally chipped, way too elated for his own good. I knew my cousin well and was quite aware of the source to his excitement. I wasn't much of a conversationalist. Frankly, I had a small circle of friends, and a girlfriend which had been supporting all my life. Even so, I was mature enough to realize that couples did things me and Namine never indulged to. Kissing, groping, making love, those kinds of things I never really seemed to need. And to be honest, neither did she. It was good enough being by her side, having my hair stroked and my cheek kissed, watching tv, eating pop-corn and occasionally escorting her out shopping. Sharing secrets, trusting each other. That was what the past two years of our relationship had been like and I felt no need to change a thing whatsoever.

Tired of searching for the perfect match of clothes and seeing my room in a state of chaos, I grabbed the white shirt and washed out skinny jeans from Sora's hand, despite them being nothing to my liking. I preferred tuxedos, hells, even the school uniform. But I wasn't bonehead enough to walk into what was probably a punkish club wearing either of those.

Soon thereafter, I was changed, combed and fixed like a bridegroom. Sora flashed his wide grin at me an gave me a thumbs up before patting me on the back and literally pushing me out of my own dorm room. Woe is me. Could this day get any worse?

I bit my lower lip and hurried downstairs in the most inconspicuous way possible. Thankfully enough my snickers barely made any noise, but I knew there were night-watchers out every other corner of the hallways, which all but kept me calm. How could I be calm?! Was I to get in trouble because of Sora's bright ideas, the boy would have it rough, oh quite rough actually. I would so have his little Xbox confiscated, along with the multitudes of chocolates he's hidden in the closet. If I were to fall, he was so coming along for the ride.

And then, as if on cue, I heard a very familiar scream behind me. I'd recognize it anywhere. After all, one couldn't simply forget the world-renown bundle of fear that was Sora seeing a rat under the coffee table on Christmas Eve. Picking up on the all too obvious signals of decoy, I raised my pace until I was practically running and thanked heavens when my sneakers reached safe ground.

I was outside of the school walls-whoever left the doors unlocked at this time of the day anyway?

Convenient for me, pity for them. The headmaster was _so _getting a piece of my mind later. Or so I wanted to, but confessing to having seen the crime would add me to the suspect list, which by all means, I did not feel like joining.

Broken pride in hand, adrenaline rush in the other, I padded out to the pedestrial and looked around me for signs of a redhead who was nowhere, interestingly enough, to be spotted.

I remember standing there, in the middle of the wild night, under the starless sky, waiting for a few good minutes which ended up feeling like ages. Until there was sound, a roaring sound like a monster's growls breaking the silence, and a car which I immediately identified as a '67 Chevy Impala came to a halt by my side. And the horridly loud sounds died, giving place to a deep voice and a pair of emerald eyes, which oh so conveniently stared right into what should have been my soul. And I remember pondering whether I really had one, for the only part of myself which was distinctive enough to me at that moment, was the throbbing in my chest. And then came the sound of his voice, so very friendly but alarming, deep and hoarse in a peculiar way, calling out my name.

"Earth to Roxas!"

And I twitched and blinked past my reverie, cheeks probably feeling hot enough to light a cigarette with. "Y-Yeah. I'm here." My voice replied of it's own accord.

"Well what are ya doin'? Get in here before we get caught!"

Forgetting what pride and fear was, I leapt right beside the driver's seat with the expression of a child who'd just tried their mother's bitter coffee for the first time.

Axel beamed down at me and cheekily ruffled his enormous hand on top of the hair I spend half the night trying to tame. "That's better. It's more like Daisy." He concluded when I assumed he'd finally thriumphed in turning my locks back into a bird's nest. It was amazing how skillfull I was at keeping calm whenever the stupid nickname was mentioned.

"You said you didn't have a car." I blurted out, one eyebrow shot high up to the sky. I always had this soft spot for hating liars.

"Oh, this baby? I borrowed it." Said the beanpole, lightly tapping the steering wheel to the side with what I noticed was a gloved hand.

"And of all the cars to borrow, you chose a chevy impala? Why? It's old and-"

"Hey! Hold your horses will ya? This baby here has been home to the Winchesters since the earth was formed!"

Were we outside, conversing under the night sky instead, a mosquito would've probably nested itself in my mouth. Remembering to shut my jaw I looked away and muffled an impeding laughter which should've exploded my throat from the pressure.

"Hey! What's so funny!?" Came the hoarse voice to my side again, demanding and strong, sending shivers down my spine I couldn't ignore.

"You're a Supernatural geek. Should've figured." My own voice blurted in response, sides hurting like I'd been exercising for days.

"So what?! Got a problem with that, shorty?"

And my giggles died at that, demeanor switched to that of glaring daggers silently exchanged between green and blue. What exactly seemed funny to me, I was unaware of. Maybe it was the fact I liked Supernatural myself, albeit a bit secretly, or maybe it was his stupid worshiping expression when said show was mentioned. Needless to say, I wasn't going to share my fandom secrets with a dude I'd just met. Had an image to maintain, after all. It was all about image these days. People barely ever cared about the real you as long as the surface fitted their demands.

"So are we gonna go or sit here all night bantering again?"

And with that, the engine revved to life once more, sending shivers down my overly elated television geek side. Biting a lipbalm coated lower lip, I scratched the sides of washed out jeans and allowed myself to relax throughout the whole trip downtown, despite the rather comfortable silence between us. Me and a friendly stranger, off to my first ever nightlife outing.

How much weirder could this get?


End file.
